CINCINNATI —

A woman is accused of hitting two people with her car, killing one person and seriously injuring another.

According to court documents, 24-year-old Taahviya Chapman purposely hit the victims with her car on Wednesday at a Kroger in Spring Grove Village.

Police said one victim died from his injuries. That victim was identified as Christopher Griffith.

Police did release a motive for what caused the incident.

Chapman appeared in court Thursday and has been charged with felonious assault. Chapman also appeared in court on a separate child endangerment case.

She remains in jail.

CINCINNATI — Some Kroger gas stations in the Cincinnati and Dayton area faced fuel shortages this Thanksgiving week.

A Kroger spokesperson said Wednesday the company's supplier was undergoing maintenance, contributing to fuel shortages at select Kroger locations. Drivers reported shortages at Kroger gas stations in Delhi, Harrison, Hebron, one on Ferguson Road in Cincinnati and another at the intersection of Springdale Road and Colerain Avenue.

"We are currently monitoring the issue and have deliveries on the way from a secondary supplier," the spokesperson said in a statement.

As of Thursday afternoon, only one of the locations — the Kroger on Ferguson Road — still had a shortage.

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CINCINNATI —

Officials released the name of a woman was struck by a vehicle and killed while crossing a busy intersection in the Colerain Kroger parking lot Thursday.

Janice Bennett has been identified as the pedestrian struck and killed on thhursday.

“When I looked over, she was literally falling to the ground,” said Nick Smith. “It happened real fast.”

The driver of the vehicle that hit the woman stopped and called 911.

“I just hit a woman near Cincinnatus Saving and Loan, the Kroger parking lot,” said the man, who was almost too emotional to speak.

Witnesses said the driver of the vehicle that hit the woman had been leaving the Kroger lot and was headed toward Springdale Avenue.

Investigators said speed does not appear to be a factor.

The woman is yet to be identified.

Colerain police said it appears the woman was out for a walk. She did not have identification.

A Colerain fire crew was nearby, but the woman couldn’t be saved.

Colerain officials released a statement regarding the matter:

"On 11/11/21 at approximately 11:53, Colerain Police and Fire units were dispatched to the Kroger Store at 3636 Springdale Road for a pedestrian struck. Colerain Engine Company 26 was already in the lot on an unrelated detail and arrived within seconds and began treating the victim while awaiting a transport unit. The victim was then taken to UC Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The Colerain Police Traffic Safety Unit responded for the investigation. The investigation revealed that a Ford F150, being driven by Elliot Nance 54 of Cincinnati, was traveling west through the lot and began to turn south to exit onto Springdale Road. At the same time a pedestrian, identified as Janice Bennett 65 of Cincinnati, was walking east through the lot. As the truck turned, Bennett walked into the path of the vehicle and was struck. At this time, speed and impairment are not believed to be factors in the crash. Preliminary reports indicate that this is a tragic accident for all involved. The accident remains under investigation by the Traffic Safety Unit. Any witnesses are asked to call traffic investigators at 513-321-2677."

CINCINNATI —

Gas prices have shot up at a ridiculous rate. The numbers are busting budgets for families all across the area.

Since you're going to be paying a lot at the pump for the foreseeable future, why not try to cut costs when you can? WLWT's Mike Dardis took a look at all those fuel programs available, to see which one will save you the most money.

If we just look at his daily commute from Mason to Cincinnati, the prices at the pump are all over the map. On this particular day, the UDF in Mason is $3.14 a gallon. Just a mile down the road, $3.24 at the Sunoco near Kings Island. BP Montgomery is $3.27 a gallon. The UDF off Dana Avenue is only $3.01. It was $3.09 at a station in Evanston and $3.29 at a Shell in OTR, 28 cents more than that $3.01 number we saw off Dana.

As you're seeing, gas prices are the highest they've been in seven years — up 40% since the start of 2021.

That's frustrating enough, but to make matters worse, many of you are losing out on hundreds of dollars a year. To claim that savings, all you have to do is what you're already doing. Dardis will show you, by crunching numbers and comparing some fuel programs.

Speedway has its "Speedy Rewards." Exxon Mobil Rewards is another option. Shell just calls it a fuel rewards program and UDF has U-Drive.

All of them save you money. But three others, which are easy to understand, actually save you more.

The average American household uses two cars, 17 gallons of gas in a tank and fills up once a week. So let's use those numbers to help measure the cost-cutting.

BPme is a solid program offered by BP. As long as you spend $100 a month on fuel at BP,
you get 5 cents off a gallon every time you stop, with perks that can make it 4 times that much. So, 5 cents, times 17 gallons is 85 cents, times 4 for the perks means you save $3.40 a week for one car and $6.80 for two.

Over 52 weeks, BPme saves the average family $353.60.

Costco is not a fuel program, it's obviously a shopping club. It doesn't pay to join for just the gas. However, if you decide to join for the shopping, the gas savings are hard to beat.

On average, Costco fuel is 22 cents cheaper per gallon than other gas stations. Twenty-two cents times 17 gallons is $3.74 for your week fill up. Two cars would mean you saved $7.48. Over a 52 week year, that's $388.96 you kept in your wallet.

Slightly better than BP is Kroger, which is gas king in Greater Cincinnati. But only if you always shop there. If you spend $1,000 a month on groceries (which is average), you'll rack up enough fuel points to earn the top savings prize of $1 dollar off a gallon, up to 35 gallons. That $35 in savings monthly is $420 bucks a year!

Thirty-one dollars in change better than Costco and $66.40 better than BP.

Kroger shoppers, sometimes they offer you 20 cents or 30 cents off a gallon, but it's basically capped at $35 for the month. So you can take the discounts as you go, or save up for the big "dollar off a gallon" haul.

There's also the GasBuddy app which you can use like Waze or Google Maps. You just plug in where you're going and it'll give you the price of every gas station along your route.

Bottom line is it pays to use at least one fuel program, otherwise, you're literally leaving money on the table. Kill two birds with one stone if you can.

In other words, if you're already shopping at Kroger, get gas at Kroger. If you're already shopping at Costco, get gas at Costco. That way you're saving money at the pump and not driving all over to find cheaper gas.

Due to a coin shortage at the Federal Reserve, Kroger will no longer return coin change to customers.

Instead, the remainders from cash transactions can either be donated to charity or applied to the customers' loyalty cards to be used on the next purchase.

Kroger officials said, "at Kroger, we are implementing several creative solutions to minimize the impact to our customers. We know this is an inconvenience for our customers and we appreciate their patience. The Treasury Department expects the shortage to diminish as more regions of the country reopen."

Customers have the following options if coins are not available:

• Round up to support Zero Hunger, Zero Waste Foundation
• Pay with a form of payment other than cash
• Have their coin change loaded as credit toward their next purchase directly to their loyalty card

Currently, Kroger stores are collecting donations for its Zero Hunger|Zero Waste Foundation by allowing customers to round up their order total to the next dollar. The foundation supports hunger relief efforts across the communities it serves.

Customers using self-checkout will still be able to receive coins.

This story was originally published by Rebekah Pewitt at WTVF.

CINCINNATI —

Brand new COVID-19 vaccine shipments are heading to pharmacies in our area starting next week.

It's part of a federal goal to administer up to 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine a month.

CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, just a few that are included in the Biden administration's effort.

On top of current shipments the state has been getting, Ohio will receive 30,000 to 40,000 more shots per week, according to Hamilton County Public Health Officials

Kroger and Rite Aid are on track to receive them first, with more pharmacy locations added as days go on.

State Sen. Niraj Antani (R) District 6 serves on Ohio's Health Committee.

"At some point, there will be so many vaccines and so many people wanting to be vaccinated, there will not be enough people in one day to meet that demand," Antani said.

He thinks as shipments continue to roll in, pharmacists will need more help.

"There simply will need to be more people doing the actual vaccinating, so at that point, I think we should consider you know, utilizing our national guard who are there for purposes like this," Antani said.

Starting Monday, Ohio will begin vaccinating people ages 65 and older.

Hamilton County Health officials suggest checking in with pharmacy locations next week to see when appointments are available.

If you live in Hamilton County, you can do so by clicking here.

CINCINNATI — Kroger confirmed Friday that it was impacted by a data security breach affecting Accellion, Inc., a vendor it used for third-party secure file transfers.

"Kroger believes certain associate HR data, certain pharmacy records, and certain money services records have been affected," the company said on its website.

The company believes that fewer than 1% of its customers were impacted. The breach did not affect IT systems or any grocery store systems or data, Kroger said. No credit, debit card or digital wallet information were affected by the breach, nor were customer account passwords.

While Kroger said there is no indication of "fraud or misuse of personal information" due to the breach, the company is notifying potentially impacted customers and associates by mail. They are also offering free credit monitoring to those individuals "out of an abundance of caution."

The company said Accellion notified Kroger on Jan. 23 that an unauthorized person gained access to certain Kroger files by exploiting a vulnerability in Accellion’s file transfer service.

Kroger has since stopped using Accellion’s services, reported the incident to federal law enforcement and started its own forensic investigation.

If you have questions about the breach, Kroger's dedicated call center at 1 (855) 558-2999 can be reached Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. PT, and weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT.

For more information, click here.

Kroger updated its COVID-19 guidance Friday to “strongly encourage” all people, including those who are vaccinated, to wear masks in its stores.

The recommendation is not a requirement. All unvaccinated Kroger employees are required to wear masks, and the company requests that all unvaccinated customers wear face-coverings, but does not refuse entry or service to those who do not. Vaccinated people have been allowed to shop in Kroger stores maskless since May 19.

Kroger spokesperson Kristal Howard said the highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 and updated CDC recommendations prompted the company to change its guidance.

Several national retailers say they’ll continue to require face coverings in their stores even as Texas and some other states lift mask requirements.

Both the Lone Star State and Mississippi announced Tuesday that they’d end their face mask requirements in public spaces and said they’d allow businesses to reopen at 100% capacity as COVID-19 cases dip across the country.

Other states have taken similar actions, despite warnings from public health officials that the pandemic is far from over and easing restrictions threatens the nation’s recovery.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top expert on infectious diseases, criticized these states for lifting their mask mandates, calling the decision “inexplicable” and “ill-advised.”

Though these states aren’t requiring their residents to wear masks, many national stores are continuing to ask all customers to do so, at least for now.

Below is a list of major retailers continuing mask policies:

Target

A Target spokesperson said in a statement Thursday that the company is still requiring its guests and employees to wear masks or face coverings in all of its stores, except for guests with underlying medical conditions and young children. And as more Americans get vaccinated for COVID-19, Target is still asking those who have received a vaccine to wear masks and follow all social distancing guidelines.

Kroger

Kroger, the country’s largest chain of groceries, said in a statement Thursday that it will continue to require everyone in its stores to wear masks until “all our frontline grocery associates can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.” The company owns stores under different names as well, including King Soopers, Ralphs and Dillons. It’s also advocating for federal, state and local officials to prioritize grocery workers in vaccine rollout plans.

CVS

CVS said in a statement Thursday that its face covering policy remains in effect at all of its pharmacies nationwide, based on federal public health recommendations. The company said, “if a customer is not wearing a mask or face covering, we will refer them to our signage and ask that they help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and heeding the call to wear a face covering.”

Walgreens

Like CVS, fellow pharmacy chain Walgreens says its masking policy is not changing. It still requires team members and customers to wear masks, unless doing so would inhibit the individual’s health or if the person is under 2 years old. “We have signage on doors and make announcements over the store's public address system to remind customers that face covers are required,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

ALDI

ALDI, a grocery chain which has locations in both Texas and Mississippi, said it doesn’t plan to make any adjustments to its safety measures at this time. A company spokesperson said in a statement, “For the health and well-being of the communities we serve and for the protection of our employees, we will maintain our current nationwide policy requiring all employees and customers to wear a face covering when shopping in our stores.”

Starbucks

Starbucks will also keep enforcing its face mask requirements for its staff and customers. In a statement, a spokesperson said the coffee company will “continue to make decisions rooted in facts and science and are committed to meeting or exceeding public health mandates.”

Others

Reports from USA Today, Bloomberg and CBS News show additional companies, like Best Buy, Kohl’s, and Macy’s are also continuing their mask mandates. We’ve reached out to them for confirmation and are waiting to hear back.

CDC still asking people to mask up

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is continuing to ask Americans to mask up when in public spaces to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus to prevent any more spikes in cases. Click here to learn more about masking.

CINCINNATI — The manager of a Kroger store in Milford created "disturbing, dangerous, and deranged conditions," ultimately leading to an employee's death by suicide, according to a lawsuit filed Monday with the Hamilton County clerk of courts.

Forty-year-old Kroger dairy manager Evan Seyfried was "(a) dutiful Kroger employee (who) reported to work each and every day during a pandemic ready to provide a quality, safe product, yet was tormented by his own superiors inside of the building that promised to keep all customers and associates safe," Austin LiPuma, attorney for Seyfried's father, Kenneth Seyfried, said in a news release.

"Like so many in this community, his job at Kroger was his identity," said LiPuma. "It was everything to him."

Evan Seyfried died March 9 "with no prior history of severe mental health concerns," the suit states. "Kroger intentionally subjected Evan to torturous conditions that were directly responsible for his death."

The suit goes on to accuse a manager at the grocery chain's Milford, Ohio, location of instigating "a campaign (in October 2020) dedicated to ousting Evan while proclaiming her intention to make Evan's life a 'living hell.'"

"And then, from that point on, this is fall 2020, because of his refusals to comply with, quite frankly, dangerous conduct," said LiPuma. "They then targeted him with just, as I mentioned, completely indescribable behavior."

The suit claims the manager's feud with Evan Seyfried stemmed, in part, from concerns he had raised concerning COVID-19, which led to "hazing, taunting and bullying" and attempts to sabotage his work.

As part of the alleged bullying, Seyfried's boss "mocked and humiliated" him for wearing a mask — in line with the company's pandemic policies — as well as for his political beliefs, the suit states.

"There is absolutely nothing else indicative that Evan had any issues with mental illness, no history of any issues whatsoever," said LiPuma. "And every single complaint that led up to that fateful day was solely attributable to those garish stories in conduct from that location."

WCPO reached out to a Kroger spokesperson Monday afternoon but did not hear back.

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial on multiple claims against the company and two named managers including wrongful death; conspiracy; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligent infliction of emotional distress; invasion of privacy; sexual harassment, and reckless, willful and wanton conduct, among others.

"We also have so many questions, knowing that Evan attempted to blow the whistle to say 'these are the people supposed to protect me, I'm trying to put you on notice,'" said LiPuma.

A man who was given two life sentences on state charges in the killing of two Black people at a Louisville area grocery store in 2018 received yet another life sentence.

Gregory Bush, who was convicted on the state charges last year and pleaded guilty to federal charges in March, was sentenced to life in prison, plus 10 years.

WLKY reporter Gladys Bautista reported that the judge said the life sentence on counts one through five will run concurrently while the 10 years on count six will run consecutively.

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Related: Gunman who killed 2 Black people at Kroger pleads guilty to federal hate crime charges

In March, Bush pleaded guilty to two counts of a hate crime resulting in death, a count of hate crime with attempt to kill and three counts of use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, according to court records. The guilty pleas allowed Bush to avoid the death penalty due to an agreement his attorneys reached with federal investigators.

On the state charges, Bush pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, criminal attempted murder and wanton endangerment. The judge then sentenced him to two life sentences, which will be served concurrently.

During sentencing, loved ones of those Bush killed addressed the courtroom.

On the day of the shooting in 2018, relatives of Maurice Stallard said he went inside the Kroger with his grandson to purchase a poster for his grandson's science project, but he never made it out.

According to police, Bush pulled the trigger on Stallard and when Bush made his way outside, authorities said Vickie Jones was the next victim.

Jones was shot multiple times by Bush and left to die in the store's parking lot.

Federal prosecutors have called the shooting racially motivated. Police said Bush tried to get inside First Baptist Church, a predominantly Black church, minutes before the Kroger attack.

In March when the plea deal was reached, Bush told the judge that the voices in his head were attacking him and that's why he opened fire. The judge pointed out that Bush shot Black people to which Bush simply responded, "yes."

Last year, Bush was found to be incompetent to stand trial. He underwent weeks of assessments at the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center in Oldham County. Medical experts said, at the time, Bush had been involved in multiple unprovoked fights with other inmates and refused to take his medication.

Then, in August, medical experts determined that Bush had received enough treatment and was ready to stand trial. According to the ruling, Bush had initially been suffering from delusions of persecution and hallucination, but had received medication and improved.

Relatives of the victims have said just because Bush suffers from mental illness, it doesn't mean he doesn't understand what he is going through now or back in 2018.

Friends of the family also told WLKY that Bush had a history of diagnosed mental illness and violence against his ex-wife, who is Black.

CINCINNATI — Yogis gathered at Paul Brown Stadium Saturday for NamasDey, and this year's virtual yoga event raised money for an organization that expands access to feminine care products.

NamasDey was presented by Kroger and U by Kotex in partnership with Tidal Babe Period Bank.

The organization was founded in 2018, when advocates learned that one in four women in the Cincinnati area struggle to get feminine products. Since then, Tidal Babe has helped an average of 1,500 women a month by sending them period supply kits.

READ MORE: P&G to raise prices of baby, feminine care products this September
RELATED: Proposal would place free pads, tampons in Cincinnati Public Schools restrooms

"It's not only a health issue," said Anna MacLennan with the Hamilton County Commission on Women and Girls. "It's also a hygiene issue and, frankly, a personal dignity issue. If you don't have that product, you can't feel comfortable, you can't feel safe, you can't feel clean. So, if you don't go to school, you don't go to work, that can just exacerbate inequalities that already exist."

RELATED: Ohio to repeal 'pink tax,' raise minimum wage in 2020

This week on the Hear Cincinnati podcast, host Brian Niesz is joined by community reporter Lucy May, senior real-time editor Pat LaFleur and senior manager of enterprise/investigative Meghan Goth to discuss property values in the suburbs, FC Cincinnati's stadium lights, tips for choosing a nursing home, and more.

Next, reporter Mariel Carbone joins the podcast to discuss the challenges facing the Cincinnati Police Department as they defend their diversity quotas and shorten training due to an officer shortage.

Listen to this episode in the podcast player above.

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CINCINNATI — Soon, the question ‘paper or plastic’ won’t apply anymore.

Kroger announced it would comply with Cincinnati’s ban on single-use plastic bags in January of 2022.

In a statement released by spokesperson Erin Rolfes, Kroger encourages customers to use reusable bags when shopping and to recycle plastic bags.

In 2018, Kroger initially committed to phasing out plastic bags altogether by 2025.